1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lighting systems and more particularly, to an embedded LED lighting system that is well-suited for marking walkways, roadways, or airport runways. The embedded LED lighting system can be controlled by radio frequency controllers, motion sensors, photocells, etc.
2. Description of Related Art
Properly illuminating roadways, airport runways, or crosswalks at night is essential to maintaining a safe and accident free environment. Some locations such as airports often require that illumination sources be highly visible even during the day, for example, runway stop line lights. However, it is difficult to find an illuminating means that is durable, relatively easy to install and remove, that is cost efficient, and easy to repair and maintain. Also such an illuminating means would have to provide excellent illumination without posing a threat as a physical obstacle to pedestrians and vehicular traffic.
The prior art describes a variety of lighting systems used to provide illumination for different settings. For example, an illuminated safety curbing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,808, issued on May 16, 1972 to W. Baatz. The construction of the illuminated safety curbing employs a reinforced, pre-cast concrete base with an extra heavy-duty translucent fiberglass cover of diving bell configuration which houses an incandescent or fluorescent illumination fixture. Single-faced or double-faced elongated illuminated curbing sections are adapted to be combined in various configurations with a nose section to form curbings and dividers for different traffic separator situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,868, issued on Feb. 19, 1991 to L. Eigenmann, describes a continuous horizontal road-marking tape. The road marking tape includes light emitting diodes or high intensity microlamps, solar cells, and retroreflecting elements. The road marking tape balances the solar energy captured by its solar cells with the emitted light employed to signal or warn motorists.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,202, issued on Nov. 3, 1992 to L. R. Legare, describes an illuminated concrete curbstone. The curbstone is adapted to be partly immersed in the ground adjacent a driveway. The concrete curbstone block has an internal illuminated housing for projecting light onto a driveway. The housing has a transparent window receding from the flat front face of concrete. The illuminated curbstone is adapted to project light onto the driveway at a level above the ground.
An embedded light fitting for runways is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,438,495, issued on Aug. 1, 1995 to H. Ahlen et al. The light fitting, which includes a light source with a reflector as well as a limiting light opening in the field of light, is intended to be embedded in the surfacing of a runway.
A device for providing light along a runway or taxiway at an airport is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,300, issued on Sep. 12, 1995 to J. A. Rector, Jr. A base receptacle is adapted to be positioned along the runway and has an open end and a sleeve member that has a sleeve member passageway allowing access through the open end into the base receptacle. A replaceable light fixture connecting apparatus is used to connect a light fixture to the sleeve member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,691, issued on Sep. 23, 1997 to F. R. Barrow, describes an airport runway or taxiway light fixture. The in-pavement light fixture for mounting in an airport runway or a taxiway has a cover with a flat surface and one or two windows for the passage of a light beam. An optical prism is detachably mounted in a cavity formed in the cover beside and beneath each window.
An integrally formed linear light strip with light emitting diodes is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,845, issued on Jul. 27, 1999 to T. L. Gustafson. The light strip includes first and second bus elements spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance. An extruded plastic material completely encapsulates the first and second bus elements and the LED, thereby providing a barrier to protect the elements from damage and to make the light strip impervious to moisture.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an LED lighting system that can be embedded into a concrete, asphalt or flooring surface.
It is another object of the invention to provide an embedable LED lighting system that serves as an excellent source of illumination.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an embedable LED lighting system that is not potentially a physical obstacle to pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an embedable LED lighting system that is easy to maintain and readily serviceable.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an embedded LED lighting system for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
The foregoing objectives are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a LED lighting system that is embedded in a concrete, asphalt, or flooring surface. The embedable LED lighting system of the present invention is an excellent source of illumination and does not pose a threat as a physical obstacle to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The LED lighting system comprises a strip of light emitting diodes mounted in an extruded I-beam configured framework and encapsulated in a clear and reflective lens material. The embedded LED lighting system of the present invention produces uniform illumination that is highly visible.
The embedded LED lighting system of the present invention can be used in a broad spectrum of applications; for example, the LED lighting system can be used for marking roadways or restricted areas and airline logos at airports. The LED lighting system can be controlled by motion sensors, pressure sensors, or radio frequency controllers. Furthermore, the lighting system can be an arrangement to produce any desired illuminating configuration such as an arrow, numeric character, or lines meeting the color and size of federal and state safety markings.